Karen Abboud

Karen Abboud, PTA, MHA, CLT

Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Education
Physical Therapist Assistant

Contact Info
AbboudKaren@clarksoncollege.edu
402.552.6096

Karen Abboud works as an Associate Professor in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program, at Clarkson College, in both the Associate and Bachelor programs. Previous experience also includes serving as the PTA program Director of Clinical Education (2016-2023) and as a science faculty member in the Academic Travel Abroad (ATA) program (2018-2021, 2023). She is currently serving as a Director on the Clarkson College Alumni Board.

Ms. Abboud is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) where she is a member of the Education Section and also served on the APTA Nebraska Executive Committee as the PTA Caucus Representative for 10 years (2010–2019) and continues to serve on the Practice Management committee.


Education and Professional Experience

Bachelor's degree in General Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2002
Associate’s degree in Physical Therapist Assistant, Clarkson College, 2005
Master of Science in Health Care Administration, Clarkson College, 2012
Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT), November 2010
Certified Clinical Instructor, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Current patient care in Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and home health, Omaha area
 

Awards and Honors

APTA Recognition of Advanced Proficiency for PTA in Geriatrics, 2011-2016
APTA PTA Clinical Excellence Award, 2020
Clarkson College Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award, Fall 2013 & 2017
Pursuing advanced certification in lymphedema, Lymphology Association of North America (LANA)

Words of Wisdom 

Be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. Have passion for what you do: if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.  

“Change is the only constant in life. Ones ability to adapt to those changes will determine your success in life”- Benjamin Franklin 

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts”- Winston Churchill 

“When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is!”- Unknown 

Courses  

PTA 106: Introduction to Physical Therapy (co-teach)
PTA 107: Documentation for the Physical Therapist Assistant
PTA 110: Basic Skills; Lab Assistant
PTA 213: Professional Leadership Seminar (co-teach)
PTA 220/221: Clinical Practicum
PTA 222: Therapeutic Interventions; Skills Weekend Lab Assistant
PTA 240/241: Clinical Practicum
PTA 307: Outcome Measures and Reporting for the PTA

Scholarly Works (Selected)  

Co-presenter with Trish Weber and Jennifer Wilson, Connecting the Dots: IPE for Professionals, Heartland Interprofessional Education Conference (HIPE), Omaha, NE, July 22, 2022.

Co-presenter with Jennifer Jewell, Pamela Pologruto, Lisa Stejskal, and Michele Voight, Habit or Thoughtful Choice?: Clinical Performance Assessment of PTA Students, Educational Leadership Conference (ELC), Atlanta, GA, October 24, 2021.

Edition Reviewer: Journey Across the Life Span, 6th Ed, F. A. Davis Company, May 2018.    

Edition Reviewer: Documentation for the Physical Therapist Assistant 4th Ed, F. A. Davis Company, July 2015.  

Co-presenter with Jessica Wissink and Kimberly Beran-Shepler, Integrating Live Virtual Intra-Professional Student Collaboration: A PT-PTA Case Study, Consortium of Hospital Affiliated Colleges and Universities (CHACU) Fall 2020 Conference on Digital Teaching and Learning Innovation (via Zoom), October 5, 2020. 

Co-presenter with Andreia Nebel, Kathy Volkman, Daniel Aksamit, Teaching the PT-PTA Relationship: “Teaming” with Possibilities! Educational Leadership Conference (ELC), Bellevue, WA. October 18, 2019. 

Co-presenter with Michael Witte, Katie Fulton, Shelli WeddumWe Are Not an Island: Broadening Student Perspectives, Heartland Interprofessional Education (HIPE) Conference, Omaha, NE, August 2, 2019 

Co-presenter with Terry Grindstaff, Dawn Venema, Sara Bills, Julie HoffmanAcademia: The Good LifeAPTA National Student Conclave (NSC), Omaha, NE, October 24, 2015 

Co-presenter with Andreia Nebel, Kathy VolkmanTeamwork: The Most Important Thing about Patient Care You May Not KnowAPTA National Student Conclave (NSC), Omaha, NEOctober 23, 2015. 

Co-researcher with Andreia Nebel, and Kathy VolkmanUNMC/Clarkson Research: Teamwork Knowledge, Attitudes Assessment and Reflection 2014-2019 

 



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